


Loyalty Never Dies

by PhantomSpade



Category: NG (Visual Novel)
Genre: Dogs, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mild Language, One Shot, POV First Person, Past Character Death, Post-Canon, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:26:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21538966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhantomSpade/pseuds/PhantomSpade
Summary: In all things considered, loyalty was the foundation of their relationship. Akira and Amanome can always count on each other through hard times.
Relationships: Amanome Seiji/Kijima Akira
Comments: 4
Kudos: 41





	Loyalty Never Dies

**Author's Note:**

> NG (c) Aksys Games

Fall is pretty crispy at this time of the year. Course, I never really cared about the seasons. Whether it was hot or cold, raining or snowing, it was all the same to me. I just care about getting on with my life. 

But the day I 'played' and survived Kakuya's game that summer changed a lot of things for me. For one, it brought me closer to my friends (old and new) and family. I went through hell to get Ami back and everyone got into the crossfire, but it was worth it. With one painful exception, everyone else made it out alive in the end. And I'm damn glad about that. 

Second is my sort of new job: keeping guard of Kakuya. After sealing her back in my mirror, Aunt Natsumi managed to contact a shrine to make some arrangements. They sent me a famous fortune teller (Yasu-something) along with a couple of priests to set up a mini shrine in my bathroom. Of course, I had to explain to my landlord about it, which was a pain to do. 

So my life isn't completely back to normal. But it is as normal as it can get, and I'm fine with it. As long as Kakuya is kept up in there and not going after anyone, that's all I care about. 

* * *

As usual, I arrive at the Black Rabbit. And as usual, it is empty of people. I could never get tired of this place. After what happened, I've grown more appreciatation for it. 

Aunt Natsumi comes out of the kitchen and upon seeing me, smiles warmly in greeting. "Hello, Akira. How was your morning?" 

I shrug my shoulders. "It wasn't too bad. I see that Ami is still at school?" 

Natsumi nods. "Yes, but school is almost over, so I was about to go pick her up." 

"I see. Want me to come with you?" 

She shakes her head at me. "No, it's fine. You just got here, so make yourself at home. I won't be long." 

With a hum, Aunt Natsumi goes out the door. I'm glad that she has been doing ok. I'm actually pretty grateful that she tried to help me rescue Ami. 

Since I have some time on my hands, I go over to the coffee maker and begin brewing a pot for myself. I really need some caffeine to keep me going for the day. My sleep cycle hasn't gone completely back to normal. 

"...I better go pick up some food later." I mumble to myself. 

Just when the coffee is done brewing, I hear the door open. Aunt Natsumi and Ami shouldn't be back this early, and I doubt it's a customer. 

Then a familiar voice confirms my suspicions. 

"Hello, Akira. Were you dreaming of me last night? You got a faraway look in your eyes." 

There stands Amanome, arms crossed and looking at me with that smile of his. 

I scoff at him. "I see you everyday. I got no reason to dream about you." 

Amamone puts on a faux look of pain and brings a hand up to his chest, where his heart is. "My, you wound me so, my dear Akira..." 

I roll my eyes at him. As always, he has the flair for the dramatic. Can't say that I dislike it, though. I guess that's what I get when I have a Yakuza prince for a boyfriend. 

Oh yeah. Me and Amanome have started dating recently. Him helping me out with Kakuya's game made me realize that I cared about him more than an annoying best friend. And it turns out, he feels the same way towards me. 

Our relationship hasn't really changed that much. We still banter and take shots at each other like we always do, but now, there is some affection there and there. 

"I have passed Miss Natsumi on the way here. I see that she is on her way to pick up Ami." Amanome says. 

I grunt at him. "Yeah. She and Ami will be back shortly." 

When I look at Amanome again, I realize the black leash in his hand. I trail my eyes down and spot a scruffy black dog sitting partially behind his legs. The dog looks up at me curiously, not imitated by my appearance. 

"You got a guard dog? I was expecting something more..." 

Aggressive, but I don't say that part. I'm surprised that he got himself a pet. I didn't think of him as being capable of taking care of a dog. 

"Pops decided that I need some protection with me, so he got me this little guy. Miss Natsumi became fond of him when she saw him. Of course, I would have liked it if he was more like you." 

Amanome smirks as the dog begins to inspect me. I just give him an unamused look, ignoring the dog prodding his nose against my jeans. 

"Real funny, you ass." 

Amanome just chuckles. Some things never change. 

"So what's his name? Better not be my name." 

Suddenly, his expression becomes downcast, his smile disappearing and his eyes averting away from mine. 

"...It's Maru." 

The name strikes a sad note in me as the atmosphere around us becomes a bit tense. How can I forget? Maruhashi was a bit of an idiot, but...he didn't deserve to die. I still feel regret for not being able to save him from Kubitarou that night. His headless corpse has been burned into my mind since then. 

I move closer to Amamone until we are shoulder-to-shoulder, carefully taking his free hand and clasping it into my grip. Since I'm wearing gloves, he can't feel the warmth radiating from inside them. But he rubs his thumb against the leather before squeezing back tightly. 

"Did you hold a funeral for him?" I ask. 

"Yeah. Pops even invited Maruhashi's old gang members since he was their leader. They were bawling like babies throughout the whole thing...It was a mess." 

I can imagine that. I wonder if Amanome cried too. 

"...Sorry that I missed it. Do they have a shrine for him?" 

"Yep. It's not very grand, but he got a lot of offerings. That idiot was more loved than I thought. I wonder if I should've been more decent to him..." 

I can detect a sense of fondness in his tone. Amanome may have pushed Maruhashi around when he was alive, but I saw that he really cared about him. Maruhashi was a decent guy, and he did everything Amanome asked him to. 

I lead him to a booth. Maru trots behind us eagerly, his tail wagging like a flag. I quietly ask Amanome for the leash, but he declines. He slides in before me, ordering Maru to sit beside the booth as I slide next to him. I give the mutt a pat on the head, causing him to nose my glove and lick it. The dog is too good for Amanome. 

Amanome digs through his bag and brings out two round, white pastries in plastic wrapping. I immediately recognize what they are. 

"Are those..." 

"Kintoki manjus. Don't worry, I only bought one for both of us. If we can't finish it, we'll give them to Maru here." 

He passes me a manju, and I tear open the wrapping. At the corner of my eye, I see Maru sniffing at the air, catching the scent of the snack in my hand. I'm no dog expert, so I don't know if it's safe to eat. 

I make a quick suggestion. "...I've made some coffee earlier. We can wash the taste out." 

Amanome's mouth quirks up a bit into a slight smile, visible but not quite there. "How thoughtful of you, Akira. I'm starting to love that side of you." 

To my surprise, I feel my cheeks starting to warm. I will the feeling down before he can see. "....Just eat." 

Me and Amanome bite into our manjus, the paste quickly filling into our mouths. Just how I remembered the first time I tried it. It taste like-

"Shit. Still don't get how they sell these manjus." 

Amanome nods with a slightly disgusted look. He forces himself to swallow the paste down before lightly coughing. I quickly put a hand on his back and rub him until he is fine enough to speak. 

"Indeed. I wonder how Maruhashi can stand these. He must've had poor taste buds to eat these things." 

He laughs, though softly and bitterly. He just looks so...sad. It's not often that I see him looking so down. 

"He was a loyal subordinate. Sure, he screwed up a lot, but he was obedient. Good at his job when he needed to be..." 

He lets out a heavy sigh as he twists the wrapper in his hand. I can't tell he is going to cry or not. He must have bottled up those feelings for a while. He vowed to avenge Maruhashi after Kubitarou, and in the end, he did. But I guess he isn't done grieving. 

"...I may not a pushover like Maruhashi was, but..." 

I bring him closer and cradle his head into my neck. Even in private, these kind of gestures are alien to us since we aren't used to expressing this much affection. But it is comforting and Amanome goes farther into my hold without hesitation. 

"...I'll always stick by your side. I care about you a lot, and you helped out a lot with Kakuya. I...I appreciate everything you have done for me. I'm sure Maruhashi is happy that you went through hell with me to bring him justice. Honestly...I'm lucky to have you." 

And I mean all of it. It is cheesy and cliche, but it is true. Out of everyone who helped me, Amanome has always lend a hand despite being a chicken with occult stuff. He has always got my back and I his. That is never going to change. 

Amanome lifts his face up at me, looking pretty perked up. Then his smile turns into a smirk. 

"Since when did you become such a romance protagonist? Did you hear that, Maru? Akira usually never has a way with words." 

I frown and almost shove my half-eaten manju into his face. The paste gets smeared over his cheek before he playfully shoves me back. Maru yips below us and tries to jump into the booth, probably thinking that I was attacking Amanome. 

"Hehe, easy there, Maru. Sit. Sit back down." 

Maru whines, but does as he is told and sits back down. Amanome sighs and takes a napkin out of the dispenser to wipe his face. 

"That's what you get for killing the moment." I say. 

Amanome huffs at me, but I see that he is a little amused. At least he seems cheered up. Though, I'm surprised that he doesn't retort back like he usually does. 

Then his expression softens into a tender look. That is another emotion he rarely shows. 

"No seriously, Akira. Thanks for being with me." 

I don't know what to say. I would be lying if I say that I'm not the least bit touched by that phrase. They're simple words, but they carry a lot of weight. 

"...Amanome-" 

Before I can say any further, the door to the bar opens. I don't have to look up to know that it's Aunt Natsumi and Ami. 

"I'm home, Akira! Oh, a puppy!" 

I wave at the two while Amanome puts on his friendly face. "Hello, Ami. This here is Maru. He won't bite." 

Ami immediately walks over to us and reaches out to Maru with a cautious hand. The dog moves closer and sniffs it for a few seconds as I watch, preparing to intervene just in case. 

Maru finishes inspecting her and licks her hand happily, making Ami giggle. "Ahehe! He's so cute! Good doggie!" 

"...Don't spoil him too much, Ami." 

Ami shakes her head with a hum, now petting Maru's head. Aunt Natsumi watches on with a calm smile, looking pleased at the scene before her. 

"Haha, Maru's such a good dog. I hope you take good care of him, Seiji. I'll make sure to have treats next time." 

Amanome hums. Then as soon as Ami stops petting Maru, he whistles to the dog to come back. I'll admit that he must have trained that dog pretty good. But considering that this is Amanome, it'll only be a matter of time before...

...Then again, Amanome is actually more decent with animals than with humans. This isn't really known because of his reputation as the son of a Yakuza. But that's one of his good qualities.

"Well, I hate to cut my visit short since you ladies have just arrived, but I must be going. I have some business to attend to." 

Ami looks at him sadly, likely because she wanted to play with Maru more. "Aww, okay Seiji..." 

He smiles at her as I move out of the booth to let him out. "Don't worry. I promise I'll bring him again next time." 

That cheers her up immediately. "Okay! See you later, Seiji! Maru!" 

Maru barks happily at Ami while Amanome tugs the leash, signalling to him to leave with him. Of course, he turns to me and leans close to my ear, whispering, "Let's go on a date tomorrow, Akira. My treat." 

I resist the urge to smirk and give an affirmative grunt. Our dates aren't too different from our usual hangouts, but sometimes they become more...intimate in the end. 

"Alright, I'm off." 

With a wink towards me, Amanome walks out the door with Maru trailing behind him. Ami calls out another "bye!" to them before heading to the kitchen, probably to do her homework before she can come with me later. 

Aunt Natsumi gives me a knowing smile and a wink, which I quickly turn away from so she doesn't see my face becoming flushed. Damn, I must be getting soft. 

"Akira, you have such a wonderful boyfriend. He really helped you a lot, didn't he?" 

I glance at her from the corner of my eye before nodding. Before I know it, a small smile appears on my face. 

"...Yeah. Yeah, he did." 


End file.
